Single mom supports teenage daughter by being paid to date

Single mom supports teenage daughter by being paid to date

Single parenting has its challenges, and for Jordyn Smith, managing finances is one of the hardest. The mother, who does not receive child support, has held a variety of jobs — from serving as a cocktail waitress to being an exotic dancer — to offset the costs of raising her teenage daughter. Currently though, the Las Vegas, Nev. resident is unemployed — but she’s still raking in cash (albeit, in a rather unorthodox way).

Through a website called WhatsYourPrice, Smith is being paid to go on dates and maintain platonic relationships with men.

“The men will either send me an offer and I can counteroffer, or I’ll send them out an offer of like $150 to $200, and then they can counter or I can accept,” Smith explains to Yahoo Lifestyle of how the website works, an eBay-type service. “It’s just like a bidding thing. But I don’t do less than $100.”

And while the arrangement is fairly similar to Seeking Arrangement, which connects women with “sugar daddies” or even comparable to being a prostitute, Smith insists that this process is different because of the lack of pressure, and legality.

“I did sign up for the Sugardaddie website, and that was just garbage,” she explains. “It put a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, so I didn’t really have high expectations for WhatsYourPrice, to be honest. I was nervous because I didn’t want the men to expect anything. But I did point out on my profile that it would be no strings attached. I am good company, I am fun, but don’t expect anything out of this.”

What she’s gotten out of the men she’s gone on dates with is nearly $3,000. But that amount is only increasing with a single, more steady, companion that she’s connected with. After a few dates with one man in particular, Smith says he’s taken on a more substantial role in her life.

From buying Smith a truck, to giving her money to buy her teenage daughter’s Christmas gifts, the 36-year-old’s companion has given her $7,600 thus far. Although their relationship is currently non-sexual, the divorced dad of grown children has been introduced to Smith’s friend and her daughter. 

“He’s definitely unique,” Smith says. “He’s always wanting to help out and wanting to help me succeed because I’m a single mom. I think as a friend as well, he wants to see me succeed because he’s gotten to know me better and he’s met some of my friends. He’s taken me and my girlfriends out, my daughter’s met him a few times. He’s actually gonna buy her a car.”

Although Smith says she’s typically not open with her daughter about the ways that she makes money, she’s found a way to explain to the teenager that she met this man on a dating website who’s looking to help their family financially.

“As long as she knows that I’m not here doing illegal things,” Smith says. “It’s company. I am single, so I can date people. And why not if people want to pay for companionship or to date. Why not? Because most of the time these guys are really not that great, and you’re going and wasting your time for free.”

As for the future with this man in particular, Smith says she would be open to a relationship with him at some point. But first, she’s looking to start a business — with his initial investment.

“I want to do something in the beauty industry, maybe that’s spa or laser,” Smith says. “So I’ve been kind of looking at businesses now, I just need to be able to give him a business plan and it’s gotta make sense to him.”

In the meantime, she continues to date around on the site to have some extra earnings, while doing some part-time foot modeling on the side as well.